As Technology Evolves, Why is it Necessary for an ESP to Go Beyond Just Providing Email Marketing Services?

Companies big and small rely on email to communicate with partners, clients and prospects.  For this reason, email marketing has become a huge industry, enabling the ESPs that provide the service to thrive and continuously profit.  This platform will always be important, but brands are coming to discover that leveraging other channels can boost their marketing efforts.  Technology is rapidly evolving and because brands are adapting with it, ESPs must shift their focus outside of email marketing to capitalize on the emerging trends. 

The Web 2.0. era of the internet has led to rise of social media and the birth of powerful social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  From corporations and celebrities to athletes and regular consumers, everyone seems to be engaged with the social web these days.  The activity and influence of this new form of media has made it a viable channel businesses are increasingly targeting.  Social media marketing campaigns are becoming more common, and more services are coming out of the woodwork to help brands plan, and execute their strategy.  Technology has changed the way consumers interact online and this is one solution ESPs would be wise to add to their portfolio. 

Traditional email marketing platforms are highly efficient at what they do, but today, several businesses require much more from their communications systems.  Automation engines are proving themselves as viable alternatives for marketers with greater demands.  Fully integrated software systems, automation engines combine the best of multiple technologies, typically blending lead management, analytics, and CRM capabilities into a single package to help businesses optimize their marketing strategy.  These solutions are also rich in email features, allowing you to automate targeted campaigns based on relevant triggers and behavior.  The more popular automation engines become, the greater threat they will be to ESPs that can’t match up to their offerings.

BlackBerrys, iPhones, Androids - smartphones have risen to such prominence that they are quickly rendering standard cell phones insignificant.  These sophisticated devices live up to their name, providing advanced functionality through useful features, built-in gaming options and tons of apps.  Highly compatible and ready to take on the web, they have essentially fueled the mobile revolution and given the platform tremendous potential from a marketing aspect.  Brands are increasingly shifting their focus to the fast growing mobile audience and with email being a common feature, ESPs cannot afford to ignore the trend.

As times change and technology continues to advance, service providers in many areas will need to consider diversifying their offerings just to withstand the competition.  While others may be able to stick with their original niche, ESPs will be more pressured to adapt with the times and broaden their horizons.  The good news is that email service providers appear to be taking notice as some are placing social media, marketing automation, mobile-friendly solutions, and other services alongside their base offerings.  Email works great with a wide range of technologies,  so it wouldn’t be surprising to see more innovation brought to the industry in the very near future.